Soh Wooi Yik and Aaron Chia celebrate after winning their quarter-final match. Credit - Ningbo Olympic Sports Centre
PETALING JAYA: Men's doubles world No. 2 Aaron Chia-Soh Wooi Yik could be on track for a fifth podium finish this year at the China Open.
The duo bounced back with a solid win in Changzhou after a disappointing first-round exit at the Japan Open last week.
Taking on Denmark's Rasmus Kjaer-Frederik Sogaard on Wednesday (July 23), the Asian champions were in control throughout, winning 21-19, 21-15 to move into the second round.
Aaron-Wooi Yik will face French brothers Christo and Toma Junior Popov next. Should they clear that hurdle, their path to the final looks promising as they are in the bottom half of the draw, avoiding top contenders such as newly crowned world No. 1 pair Kim Won-ho-Seo Seung-jae of South Korea and home favourites Liang Weikeng-Wang Chang.
Adding to their advantage, top seeds Goh Sze Fei-Nur Izzuddin Rumsani have already been knocked out.
Aaron-Wooi Yik could face several familiar names in the bottom half of the draw, including compatriots Man Wei Chong-Tee Kai Wun and Thailand's Kittinupong Kedren-Dechapol Puavaranukroh, among others.
A strong run this week would be a fitting redemption for Aaron-Wooi Yik, who missed out on last year's edition after Aaron suffered a fractured toe during the semi-finals of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
That said, Aaron-Wooi Yik will need to stay focused and not underestimate any opponents if they are to avoid another early setback like the one they endured in Tokyo last week.
For the record, Aaron-Wooi Yik made it to the China Open final in 2023 but their title hopes were crushed by Weikeng-Wang Chang.
So far this season, Aaron-Wooi Yik have enjoyed a strong run, adding the Thailand Open and Singapore Open titles to their Asian Championships crown, along with a runner-up finish at the Malaysian Masters.
